Tag: diets
Home-Delivered Diet Meals Not The Final Answer For Healthy Weight Loss, Maintenance

Home-Delivered Diet Meals Not The Final Answer For Healthy Weight Loss, Maintenance

By Environmental Nutrition Editors, Environmental Nutrition Newsletter (TNS)

Diets wouldn’t be nearly as challenging an undertaking if you removed all of the planning, shopping, measuring and counting involved.

Delivery programs do all of that for you, and meals appear right on your doorstep. No preparation, no impulse shopping buys, no worries — and the weight comes off! Great as these services can be, however, there are a lot of programs out there that may or may not be realistic for sustainable and healthy weight loss and maintenance.

The Pros

“The number one thing people really like is the convenience. They don’t have to think about what they’re going to eat; they don’t have to prepare it,” says Ruth Frechman, M.A., R.D., past spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and author of The Food Is My Friend Diet. Consuming fewer calories on diet delivery programs, which are calorie- and portion-controlled, will lead to weight loss if followed, she says.

According to a study in the April 2014 Diabetes Care, participants with type 2 diabetes lost three times more weight in a commercial weight loss program with prepackaged foods in a planned menu as those in a “usual care” group, which had two counseling sessions and diet instructions.

In addition, 72 percent of those taking insulin reduced or eliminated their medication on the planned menu compared to only 8 percent of “usual care” participants, and significantly reduced their blood glucose levels compared to the “usual group.”

The Cons

Frechman says any program that reduces calories will lead to weight loss if followed. So, when considering a diet delivery program, examine it carefully before making a decision. She recommends ensuring the program satisfies any special dietary needs, such as gluten-free, vegetarian, or low sodium.

People may be so swayed by a plan’s popularity and potential benefits, and be so desperate to lose weight that they soon find they don’t like the taste of the food and tire of it.

“The ultimate goal,” says Frechman, “is to learn how to live a healthy lifestyle and not regain the weight. After all, why go to the trouble (and expense) of losing weight, if you’re going to gain it back!”

EN’s Diet Meal Delivery Guide

1. bistroMD.

Strategy: Physician-created plan provides 1,100-1,400 daily calories: 50 percent lean protein, 20-25 percent healthy fats, and 30-35 percent complex carbohydrates.

Pros: Choose from over 150 seasonal entrees, all fully cooked and frozen. Weekly support emails and optional chats with registered dietitians.

Cons: Snacks cost extra.

Price: $179.95 for seven-day program: Seven breakfasts, seven lunches, and six dinners.

2. Diet-to-go.

Strategy: Customized weight loss plan begins with a Diet and Body Analysis to determine the best fit between three meal plans: Traditional, Vegetarian and Low-Carb.

Pros: Additional customizations, such as allergens, taste and dislikes are available.

Cons: Some plans require fresh vegetables, so grocery shopping may be necessary.

Price: $157.99, plus shipping, for seven-day plan of 21 meals.

3. Jenny Craig.

Strategy: Dietitian-developed meals are designed to be larger, more satisfying portions, but low calorie, in a program that pairs clients with education and lifestyle consultants.

Pros: Weight loss is backed up with a money-back guarantee. Consultants offer one-on-one guidance toward goal setting and tracking progress.

Cons: Consultants are not credentialed nutrition professionals.

Price: $15-$23 per day, plus delivery. Members add their own fruit, vegetables and dairy.

4. Nutrisystem.

Strategy: Metabolic rate, determined by questionnaire, determines the calorie range to personalize plans made up of nutrient-rich, pre-portioned foods.

Pros: Personalized calorie ranges are designed to keep energy up, while leading to a 1-2 pound weekly loss.

Cons: Plans require purchase of fruits, vegetables, protein and dairy.

Price: $259 for four-week Women’s Basic Meal Plan: four meals a day.

5. Chef’s Diet.

Strategy: Daily home delivery of balanced meals (40 percent protein, 30 percent carb, 30 percent fat) made with fresh ingredients.

Pros: Each day, four freshly prepared meals and two snacks arrive at your door in an insulated cooler bag.

Cons: Daily delivery of fresh food may not meet all schedules. There are several weight loss guidelines to follow, such as limiting coffee.

Price: $51.99 per day plus tax, for the 14-day Chefs Du Jour program.

6. Medifast.

Strategy: Meal replacements are formulated with vitamins and minerals, low-fat protein, and healthy fiber for nutrition and fullness, putting the body in a fat-burning state to quickly lose weight.

Pros: Research shows that it may be safe and effective for weight loss and weight maintenance.

Cons: Many meal replacements are mixed in a mug. Lots of processed bars, snacks and shakes. Plans include at least one meal prepared at home with fresh ingredients.

Price: $363.90 for the 5 and 1 Plan four-week Starter Kit.

7. Fitzee Foods.

Strategy: Gourmet, fresh, and natural meals that are healthy and portioned to suit caloric needs specific to a variety of health, fitness and diet needs.

Pros: Choose your meals by size and nutrition requirements by using Fitzee’s nutrition calculator. Meals can be specified to special dietary needs, such as dairy-free and vegetarian.

Cons: This diet delivery is made to order. Each item or meal must be selected individually. There is no premade plan.

Price: $10 average per medium sized meal.

8. Healthy Chef Creations.

Strategy: Weight loss plan follows the Mediterranean diet, which includes lots of fruits, vegetables, fish, whole grains, nuts and olive oil. Meals are delivered fresh (not frozen) weekly.

Pros: These chef-created meals have won awards for taste and quality. Meal plans also include healthy living options.

Cons: Expensive. Fresh foods won’t keep as long.

Price: Creations $299.95 for a five-day, 15 meal plan.

(Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition, a monthly publication of Belvoir Media Group, LLC. 800-829-5384. www.EnvironmentalNutrition.com.)

Photo: Diet delivery programs provide calorie- and portion-controlled servings (Tribune News Service)

Seven Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight

Seven Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight

By Cathryne Keller, FITBIE.com (TNS)

Your fridge is more colorful than a Lady Gaga performance. Your gym clothes are still sweaty from last night. Your Instagram feed is all sneakers and salads. So why isn’t that jerk of a scale budging?

Changing your food and fitness habits is challenging enough as it is, but if your healthy efforts aren’t even paying off in the dressing room, we don’t blame you for considering ditching your weight-loss plan all together in the name of Netflix and Nutella. But don’t do it.

Even if you think you’re doing everything right, there are a few minor weight-loss missteps that can majorly sabotage your slim-down success. We hit up star trainer Harley Pasternack, author of the new 5 Pounds, to find out the biggest reasons you’re not losing weight (and what to do about it):

1. You sit too much

“People focus too much on exercise and not enough on activity,” Pasternak said. Studies show that intense exercise sessions don’t offset the effects of too much sitting. Pasternak’s recommendation? “Get an activity tracker (he likes Fitbit) and aim for a minimum of 10,000 steps per day.

2. Your workouts are played out

You’ve heard it before, and Pasternak will say it again: Mix it up at the gym. “If you’re bored, so are your muscles,” he said. “To keep your body changing, you have to keep the workouts changing.” Need some fitspiration? Try a new class or add strength training to your cardio sessions.

3. You’re guilty of cardio overkill

Sprinting and spinning until you pass out is not only grueling, but it can actually backfire. “There’s no need to always push yourself to exhaustion,” Pasternak said. “Too much cardio can increase your stress hormones and create an aversion to exercise.” Plus, all those burned calories increase your appetite and can lead to what Pasternak calls the “permissive effect”: “If you’ve killed it at SoulCycle, you’re more likely to avoid extra activity — like walking to meet a friend instead of driving — and say yes to the dessert tray because you tell yourself, ‘I’ve already spun today. I don’t need to do any more exercise and I deserve a treat.’ ”

4. You’re on a juice cleanse

“First of all, there is no such thing as a cleanse,” Pasternak said. “Our body is constantly replacing all of its cells and cleansing itself.” What’s more: Most juices are closer to dessert than a balanced meal. “Because of its high sugar content and lack of the three nutrients essential to qualify your food as a healthy meal — protein, fiber and healthy fats — a juice cleanse will make you hungry, irritable and can even make you gain weight in the long run.”

5. You’re never in your kitchen

“We’re eating out more than we ever have as a culture,” Pasternak said. “As a result, we have less control over what goes in our food, how it’s made, and its portion size.” Making your own food is key if you’re trying to slim down, and one easy way to whip up a healthy meal is to start blending. “Smoothies allow you to make a complete healthy meal in under a minute,” he said. Just be sure to include a little fat to fill you up, and some protein to help you build lean, metabolism-boosting muscle. Not sure what to put in your blend? Here are Harley’s top tips for building the perfect smoothie. (His new Power Blender can help you get the job done, too.)

6. You have a cheat day

“In the past, I used to agree that people could benefit from a cheat day, but it’s really too restrictive the other six days of the week,” Pasternak said. We end up gorging so badly on the seventh day that we tend to set ourselves backward and make ourselves feel ill in the process.” But that doesn’t mean you can’t splurge every once in awhile. Pasternak’s advice for indulging your cravings without getting off track: “Replace the word ‘cheat’ with the word ‘free’ and replace the word ‘day’ with ‘meal,’ and allow yourself to have two ‘free meals’ a week.”

7. Your water bottle is empty

Downing a lot of water may be hard for some of us, but it’s worth it if you want to drop pounds. “Unchecked dehydration can be mistaken as hunger,” Pasternak said. “Stay hydrated with calorie-free beverages throughout the day.” His personal favorite? Sparkling water with a wedge of lime.

Photo:  Nottingham Trent University via Flickr

Ample Serving Of New Diet Books To Jump Start 2015 Resolutions

Ample Serving Of New Diet Books To Jump Start 2015 Resolutions

By Renee Lynch, Los Angeles Times (TNS)

You probably know someone who lives on doughnuts but never seems to gain weight. While others just glance at a bagel and pack on the pounds.

That’s just proof that we all have different nutritional demands and deficits, said Traci D. Mitchell, author of the coming The Belly Burn Plan diet book. She advocates a personalized plan of eating and exercising tailored to your body type _ not the one-size-fits-all trendy diet of the moment.

“It’s a necessity, in my opinion,” Mitchell said. “There is no silver-bullet approach that works for everyone. I think you have a better chance of sticking to a diet that’s tailored to fit you, instead of a cookie-cutter approach.”

There are four body types, Mitchell said, categorized according to where you tend to store fat. If you’re an “apple,” it all shows up in the midsection. “Pears” carry it in their hips and thighs. The “inverted pyramid” stores the extra weight in the upper body, tapering down to narrower hips and thighs. The “hourglass” adds weight overall from head to toe.

These body types correspond to hormone irregularities in the body, Mitchell said.

“When you eat for your body type, you begin to see results quickly, and you stick with it because it works,” she said.

For example: Apple shapes indicate insulin and cortisol irregularities. So the apple needs to limit carbs and caffeine and eat a high-protein diet. A pear, meanwhile, is likely suffering from estrogen overload that can contribute to lower-body weight gain. A diet that is lower in fat (no more than 20 percent) and higher in unrefined carbs will jump-start weight loss, Mitchell says.

There is one common denominator that Mitchell sees in almost all her clients: too much stress.

“Stress management is huge. It’s a big contributor to weight gain. A failure to manage your everyday lifestyle leads to weight gain.”

The Belly Burn Plan arrives on bookshelves in March. As we kick off 2015 with health and fitness resolutions still fresh in our minds, here’s a look at some of the newest books arriving on the multibillion-dollar diet scene.

You’ll notice a trend: They almost all home in on a particular angle (your hormones, your psychology, food allergies and even your lack of sleep) as the weight gain villain.

As you peruse, remember this: You don’t need to buy a new book to know you should cut back on junk food and should eat more vegetables. The best diet for you is the one that you’ll actually stick to.

The 5 Skinny Habits by David Zulberg

Let’s get metaphysical. The author, a scholar, makes the case that we need only draw on ancient wisdom passed down from the likes of Aristotle and master physicians such as Maimonides and Hippocrates to live healthier, happier (and skinnier) lives, no strict dieting needed. There are two guiding principals: Don’t overeat, and exercise at the right pace.

The HD Diet by Keren Gilbert

If you avoid dieting because you fear hunger pangs, check this one out. HD stands for a lot of things in this book, including “hydrophilic” (water absorbent) and “high hydro” (water rich). Bottom line: Eat fiber-rich foods, like trendy chia seeds, oatmeal, pears and garbanzo beans, to feel satiated between meals. This diet encourages snacking, as long as you choose HD-compliant foods.

The Hormone Reset Diet by Dr. Sara Gottfried

It’s not you, it’s your hormones. The author of last year’s bestseller The Hormone Cure is back with a diet to back up her belief that hormone upset is undermining your ability to lose weight. Get the body’s seven major metabolic hormones back in line with this “reset” diet, and your weight should follow, she said. You’ll say goodbye to sugar, caffeine, dairy, grains and gluten, but you can add some back during a trial phase to see whether they affect you.

The Skinny Gut Diet by Brenda Watson

Health begins in the gut, writes the author, whose research delves into one of science’s hottest frontiers: microbiomes. Your gut bacteria _ all 100 trillion of them _ contribute to everything from weight to the body’s inflammation levels, the author says. You’ll ditch grains and sugars as you eat to foster a healthy bacterial ecosystem and tip the scales in your favor.

The Skinny Jeans Diet by Lyssa Weiss

Do you like lists of tips, tricks and food swaps that will help trim calories and avoid bingeing on junk? Then you’ll love this book, written in girlfriend-to-girlfriend style. One tactic that had us LOLing: Relabel your trigger foods as “bad boyfriend” foods — and kick ’em to the curb.

The Thyroid Solution Diet by Dr. Ridha Arem

Could your thyroid be making you fat? Arem, an endocrinologist, makes the case that an off-kilter thyroid could menace your weight-loss efforts. (Cutting calories will actually cause you to gain weight if you have a thyroid imbalance, Arem writes.) If you also struggle with depression, irritability, thinning hair and dry skin, you might recognize yourself in these pages. His solution includes a protein-rich, low-glycemic take on the Mediterranean diet.

The 20/20 Diet by Dr. Phil McGraw

The TV talk-show host wrote The Ultimate Weight Loss Solution in 2003, and it became a bestseller. He returns with a book that examines the psychology behind unhealthful habits. He offers a diet plan that revolves around 20 foods (chickpeas, leafy greens and yogurt among them) known for their metabolism-boosting properties.

Zero Belly Diet by David Zinczenko

Written by the author of the Eat This, Not That! series, this book is not just about unveiling six-pack abs at the beach this summer. Its title takes aim at belly fat — visceral fat — the type that signals risk of heart disease, diabetes and more. If you hate to cook, you’ll enjoy the book’s simple recipes. It also includes an extensive, and rigorous, workout plan to build fat-burning muscle.

The Piper Protocol by Tracy Piper

Cleansing, juicing, detoxing, and colonics versus enemas. This book has it all. Here’s how serious this book is about juicing and cleansing: You spend three weeks working up to a rigorous weeklong juice cleanse.

The Adrenal Reset Diet by Alan Christianson

Your adrenal glands control cortisol. And excess cortisol contributes to weight gain, especially abdominal fat, which leads to sugar cravings and more. Break this cycle, the book argues, with lifestyle changes that slash stress, sugars and what the author labels toxic proteins, such as eggs, wheat and dairy.

The Plan by Lyn-Genet Recitas

You must appreciate a weight loss book that declares: “Cookies and nachos are not the problem.” The “problem,” says the author, is that every person’s chemistry is unique. The Plan is a guide to discovering, through self-testing, what foods cause allergic reactions and inflammation in the body. And you might be surprised by the culprits: One woman lost 4 pounds and a bad case of eczema by eliminating raw almonds.

20 Pounds Younger by Michele Promaulayko

If that title doesn’t hook you, this premise might: It’s time to make yourself the priority in your life and defeat the stress monster. If you do and make time for healthful eating and exercise, you’ll see the difference in your face as well as your hips, according to this lifestyle makeover approach that also includes beauty tips.

The Burn by Haylie Pomroy

Most diet books focus on macronutrients: Carbs, protein and fat. But Pomroy argues that micronutrients make all the difference in reducing inflammation, improving digestion, balancing hormones and getting you past your weight loss plateau. A bonus (or a drawback, depending on your point of view) is Pomroy’s reliance on three simple recipes as the backbone of her eating plan.

The Ultimate Diet REVolution by Jim Karas

A classic approach to revving up your metabolism: Calculate a caloric threshold for weight loss, hit it daily and build fat-burning muscle with rigorous workouts. Menus include Hawaiian pizza made on whole wheat pita and Thai turkey lettuce wraps.

Plus: Six diets that continue to stand the test of time

Weight Watchers

This diet is for those who want to be able to eat anything — even chocolate cake. That’s allowed, as long as you balance out the rest of your day (or week) to make up for it. The company just announced a personal coaching plan to connect dieters with people who have been successful with the program.

The Atkins diet

It’s a green light for bacon and butter, and a red light for the bread basket. But Atkins has tweaked its message of late to make it more attractive to carb lovers: The Atkins 40 says you can eat 40 grams a day of fiber-filled carbs (including legumes, fruit and whole grains) and still lose weight.

Jenny Craig

Hate to plan menus? Not all that interested in logging time at the stove? The Jenny Craig approach takes the guesswork out of eating for your waistline, and it is all the easier if you shop from its fleet of packaged foods.

The Ornish diet

This one landed at the top of U.S. News & World Report’s most heart-healthy diets because strict adherence — emphasis on the word “strict” — is believed to help reverse heart disease. It’s a low-fat diet rich with fresh produce, grains and seafood.

The Mediterranean diet

Adherents claim this is the most healthful and tastiest diet to follow. It avoids processed foods in favor of whole grains, vegetables, legumes, seafood and healthful fats, such as avocado and olive oil. Go easy on meat and sparingly on sweets.

Vegetarian/vegan

The rules are pretty simple. No meat for vegetarians, and no animal products whatsoever for vegans. Anything else goes, which is why some critics say it’s not necessarily a healthful diet and can be difficult to adhere to. Avoid processed-food traps, though.

Paleo

This diet has something in common with the vegetarian/vegan diet: It’s hard to argue its merits, assuming you can stick with it. You eat like your early ancestors might have, embracing veggies, nuts, seeds, meat, seafood and occasionally enjoying seasonal fruit and sweet potatoes. Strict adherence means no white potatoes, gluten, grains, sugar or dairy.

Photo: There are plenty of new diet books for 2015 to jump start this year’s resolutions. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

Eating Paleo? Why You Should Try The New Nordic Diet Instead

Eating Paleo? Why You Should Try The New Nordic Diet Instead

Only three things in this world are certain: death, taxes, and fad diets.

Fad diets, borne of sometimes questionable science, have a way of blossoming online and amassing adherents (and pageviews) despite their troubled history. They promise quick and easy results as long as their followers stick to some strict guidelines — which usually prescribe entirely excluding or only consuming certain types of food. In other words, they don’t exactly advocate for the balanced meals and healthy lifestyle choices that are routinely endorsed by, oh, the CDC, WHO, NHS, and most every other reputable source.

These fad diets may even deliver for a while (after all, short term results look good for those “before” and “after” photos.) The problem is, pounds easily shed are just as easily regained, and the effects on the dieter’s health are unpredictable at best. Some of the more mercenary fad diets go so far as to push herbal supplements, whose safety and efficacy are unregulated and dubious.

No matter how many of these miracle menus come and go, we never seem to learn this lesson: They don’t usually work. But we seem to need to believe in the silver bullet solution — the list of rules and the slick mnemonics that promise a slimmer waistline. It eluded us before, but that’s no matter — this new fad diet will work. Tomorrow we will eat only poultry, eat only cheese, eat only foods that begin with the letter “G”. And, so we eat on, bellies against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the flab.

Two diets that have received a fair amount of attention — the Paleo and the Nordic Diets — point in different directions for a healthy lifestyle, and we examine their relative virtues and drawbacks below.

The Paleo Diet (as in paleolithic) is as succinct as it is retro: If a caveman didn’t eat it, you can’t eat it. Paleo dieting is based on the idea that the evolution of human beings basically stopped shortly before we began domesticating animals and practicing agriculture. Our metabolisms evolved to perfectly match the realities of the hunter-gatherer lifestyle and haven’t caught up to any of the advances we’ve made in food production since. Everything from peanuts to peanut M&Ms is off limits, and that includes grains, breads, rice, potatoes, beans, and all dairy products. Paleo dieters stick to fruits, vegetables, grass-fed meat, fish, and nuts.

Now, if you truly wish to do as the Stone Agers did out of some misplaced sense of nostalgia, consider that their life expectancy was considerably shorter than ours; that it’s virtually impossible to know, let alone recreate, exactly what was on our ancestors’ plates; and that our bodies are more adaptable than the paleo pitchers would have you believe. To its credit, the paleo diet does push an exercise plan in line with the caveman lifestyle — in essence, less pilates and more pretending that you’re running from a saber-toothed tiger. Old school.

The Nordic Diet, or more accurately perhaps the New Nordic Diet, recommends foods in line with the traditional and locally available staples of the Nordic countries, and emphasizes the values of freshness, seasonality, and sustainability. The NND has its roots in a 2004 conference in Copenhagen where food professionals from the Nordic countries met to define a regional cuisine that was both healthy and traditional. The diet was codified in a manifesto by chef Claus Meyer and popularized via the trend of Nordic-inspired upscale restaurants that take locavore eating to new levels (including Meyer’s Noma, voted the world’s greatest restaurant four of the last five years).

Despite the high pedigree (and costs) of New Nordic restaurants, the diet itself is pretty straightforward. It values local, organic produce, such as fruit, berries, and root vegetables; whole grains; and responsibly caught fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids. The NND sensibly shuns processed foods, advises rapeseed (canola) oil over olive oil, and recommends low-temperature cooking methods to preserve the foods’ nutritional value.

In efficacy, intelligence, and — from our point of view — taste, the Nordic Diet is the clear winner here. It doesn’t have the popularity or the dramatic flair of the Paleo Diet. What it does have is balance, variety, the imprimatur of health professionals, and the enthusiasm of the worlds’ most celebrated chefs. And while the Paleo Diet takes its cues from a distant past, the New Nordic Cuisine looks forward toward a future that is viable, sustainable, and healthy.

Photo: Lynn Gardner via Flickr